I'd been planning this post to briefly recap a few key albums from late in 1990, but didn't get around to finishing it last year. But I think it's still worth doing, so here it is.
Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour. Less dance pop than Introspective before it and Very after it, Behaviour was Pet Shop Boys' stab at something a little more stately. Although more subdued than their usual sound, it's not a bad listen, not by a long shot, representing one of the most finely crafted works in their catalog. "Being Boring" is a lovely piece of history-inspired synth pop. "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" is more insistent, but also reflective. "To Face the Truth" injects a bit of melancholy, while "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously" (they really liked the long song titles for this one) was a bit more upbeat. "Nervously" is a sweet tale of a first romantic liaison, and despite the fact that Neil Tennant hadn't come out yet, it's a pretty gay song (there are no "shes" but plenty of "hes" thrown out). Best: Being Boring, This Might Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave, How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously, So Hard (4.5).
Cathy Dennis - Move to This. Cathy Dennis would later become one of the most successful British pop music songwriter-producers around. Her credits include Kylie's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," Britney's "Toxic" and the Sugababes' "About You Now." But before she was in the back of the studio she spent some time in the sound booth too, recording some pretty heady dance pop in the early '90s, first as a member of D-Mob, and then as just a solo act. Her best songs were her vibrant, Euro-styled hits "Just Another Day" and "Touch Me (All Night Long)." Producer Shep Pettibone had a hand in this album, and his style is most obvious on "Everybody Move," which sounds quite a bit like the smash he produced for Madonna, "Vogue." The dance pop outshines the ballads, except for "Too Many Walls," which was also a hit. Other ballads aren't nearly as good though, such as "My Beating Heart," which sounds like a limp take on Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush." Best: Just Another Dream, Touch Me (All Night Long), Everybody Move, Too Many Walls (3.5).
Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight. With her third album, Whitney Houston tried to update her sound for the '90s with edgier, more R&B-styled productions courtesy of producers extraordinaire Babyface and LA Reid, but the bet was hedged against songs that sound like her late '80s output as well. Thus more modern fare like the bouncy "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "My Name Is Not Susan" share space with songs like "Lover for Life" and "I Belong to You," which sound like leftovers from the recording of Whitney. None of these are bad songs though, they just sound a bit disjointed together. I used to not really care for this album, but it's grown on me quite a bit. As usual, the big ballads "All The Man that I Need" and "Miracle" are solid songs that went on to be a #1 and top 10 hit respectively. The only misstep is "Anymore," which sounds like a carbon copy of the production Babyface did for Karyn White's "Secret Rendezvous." Best: I'm Your Baby Tonight, My Name Is Not Susan, All the Man That I Need, Lover for Life, I Belong to You, Miracle (4/5).
Madonna - The Immaculate Collection. Madonna finished 1990 with a greatest hit set that pulled together 15 of her biggest hits from the last 7 years plus two new tracks that would also become hits for her. It became Madonna's second diamond-selling album after Like a Virgin, one of the best-selling and most revered greatest hits collections of all time. And despite the fact that it's indisputably wonderful, there's some odd things about it too. The strangest thing from a purists perspective is that none of the songs are either the single or album versions--all of the songs were remixed for the album by Shep Pettibone and edited for length to fit them all on. Some of the remixing is minor--you have to really listen to tell that the intro to Borderline has slightly different instrumentation--but some of it is dramatically different, like the decision to use a dance remix of "Like a Prayer" rather than the classic original. The tracks are sequenced in release order, except that "Lucky Star" and "Borderline" are switched. Really, these are minor gripes though, and since I've sinced gathered all the album and single versions of Madonna's hits, it's kind of fun to also have these strange slight remixes. Best: All 17 tracks represent pop perfection, so I couldn't possibly choose (5/5).
This is the last of this series. If I have time, I have an albums post I'd also like to do.
United States
In the US, the biggest hit of December was Stevie B's "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)," far and away the singer's biggest hit, although not his only one. He had a couple of singles that reached the top 40 in 1989. In 1990, he hit #29 with "Love Me for Life," then #15 with "Love and Emotion" before finally reaching #1 with hits fifth top 40 hit. "Because I Love You" is a tender love ballad with minimal instrumentation--pretty much just keyboard, synthesizer and some light drumming. Although it was one of the year's biggest hits, in retrospect, it's a pretty lightweight song that doesn't really hold up. Stevie B followed it up with his second-biggest hit, "I'll Be By Your Side," which hit #12 in early 1991, and he had one more top 40 single in 1995.
With "I'm Your Baby Tonight," Whitney Houston worked with Babyface to transform her '80s pop sound into an edgier '90s R&B/pop sound. It's a great track, one that I've actually appreciated more with age. It became the singer's 8th #1 hit in early December, the first single from her third album, also titled I'm Your Baby Tonight.
After reviving her pop music career in 1989 with the #1 hit "Wind Beneath My Wings," Bette Midler released Some People's Lives in 1990, which became the most successful album of her career. Its first single, "From a Distance," was a major hit for the singer, hitting #2 and receiving a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year.
The coolest hit single of December 1990 was Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner." As remixed by DNA, it gave Vega her second and last major pop single, following her #3 hit from 1987, "Luka." (see the August post in the UK section for more info).
Wilson Phillips finished out 1990 with a third top 5 hit, "Impulsive," another mid-tempo pop song, although by hitting #4, it was their first single to miss the top spot. They would have one more #1 hit in 1991, "You're in Love," before their chart fortunes would fade away (although, as John will attest from his recent interview with them(!), they are still around and going strong).
Rockers Poison had their last major hit with the ballad "Something to Believe In," which hit #4. It was their sixth and last top 10 hit. Two more top 40 singles from 1990 album followed in 1991, but weren't major hits.
George Michael's "Freedom '90" was another notable release from the singer. This, more than any other track on Listen Without Prejudice, stated his desire to step away from the sexy pop singer image cultivated for Faith, to make music on his own terms. The video, like that for "Praying for Time," does not feature Michael, although it does include images of Michael burning the props from his Faith days, including his iconic leather jacket going up in flames and the jukebox from the "Faith" video exploding. The video also features a number of big-name supermodels lipsynching to Michael's lyrics, including Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista. Such a great song--another one that I appreciate more today than when it came out.
United Kingdom
In Britain, the biggest single of the month was Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby," a recent US #1 that spent 3 weeks at #1 in the UK. It relinquished the top spot for Cliff Richard's "Saviour's Day," which was the Christmas #1. The single was Richard's 13th #1 hit and third Christmas #1. His most recent #1 hit in 1999, "Millennium Prayer," gave the singer his 14th #1. At present, he is tied with Westlife for the third most #1 hits after Elvis Presley (21) and The Beatles (17). Madonna is a close fifth with 13 chart-toppers.
Speaking of Madge, she had a hit in December, "Justify My Love," which reached #2. The track was the first single released from The Immaculate Collection, her greatest hits set released in late 1990. That album deserves its own entry (I really need to write that too, okay this series is going to extend into 1991 a bit). "Justify My Love" is sexy spoken-word song with a minimal arrangement produced by Andre Betts and Lenny Kravitz, the latter also doing backing vocals. The song is great of course, but it was its racy video that got it the most attention. As directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, the video was stylishly filmed in grainy and black and white and featured highly sexualized images of Madonna and other leather-cladded friends (including her then-boyfriend, Tony Ward) romping through an old hotel. Famously, MTV banned the video, which led it to be released on videocassette as the first ever video single. It sold handsomely.
English indie rock band EMF achieved major mainstream success with "Unbelievable," an upbeat track that hit #3 in Britain and, the following year, #1 in the US. Another British band, The Farm, also had their biggest hit in December with "All Together Now," which hit #4. The song was inspired by the famous Christmas Day truce of World War I during which soldiers from both sides put down their arms and actually met in "no man's land" to exchange gifts.
Rod Stewart and Tina Turner teamed up for a top 5 remake of "It Takes Two," a song originally released in the '60s by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston. Despite Stewart being pretty big in the US at the time, this was not released there. As cool as that is, my vote for coolest hit single in Britain for December goes to "Falling" by Julee Cruise. The austere, synth-laden track, in its instrumental form, was the theme song to the acclaimed but short-lived series Twin Peaks. It's quite lovely and it's cool that it was a hit. In the US, the single was popular on modern rock stations, but was not a mainstream hit.
Also reaching the top 10 in December were "Mary Had a Little Boy" (#8) by Snap!, the group's fourth top 10 hit, and "This One's for the Children" (#9), another top 10 hit for New Kids on the Block, which had been a US hit the previous holiday season.
Finally there was "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak (#10), a seductive song with a gentle guitar melody under his expressive, crooning vocal. The single was also a top 10 hit in the US the following year. Its black and white video, directed by Herb Ritts, is certainly the sexiest music video ever made.
Proving she wasn't a flash-in-the-pan, Mariah Carey followed up her August #1 hit, "Vision of Love," with a second #1 in November that was just as big. The single was a more conventional pop ballad, and spent 3 weeks at #1. Of course, pop music history followed, with two more #1 hits from her debut in 1991, plus a fifth #1 hit, the first of her second album, "Emotions." Since then, Carey has become the most successful charting female pop artist in history with an impressive total of 18 #1 hits to date.
November's other #1 hit was a bit of a novelty, although if you were in junior high at the time (like me), you'd have not thought that, since teens (at least white suburban teens) were devouring "Ice Ice Baby" like it was the best thing of the year. Vanilla Ice really was the flash-in-the-pan of the moment, with this David Bowie-sampling single now remembered as one of the '90s worst guilty pleasures. Don't call him a one-hit-wonder though: the follow-up single, "Play that Funky Music," was a top 5 hit in early 1991. He even got some play time with Madonna, appearing in her 1992 picture book, Sex.
MC Hammer scored his third and highest-charting hit single with "Pray," which spent 2 weeks at #2. I liked this single a lot, especially the remix that was also frequently played on the radio. I wish I could find it for sale, but alas, only the original version is on iTunes (hear the remix in the video clip below). Hammer would score two more top 10 hits from his second album released a year later ("2 Legit 2 Quit" and "Addams Groove"), but after that he faded away fast.
Canadian hair band Alias had their first and only major hit in November, hitting #2 with ballad "More than Words Can Say." Despite this fairly limited success, the members of the band were no strangers to the spotlight. Two of its members came from the then-defunct band Sheriff, which had disbanded in the mid-'90s, but generated renewed interest when, in 1989, their 6-year-old single "When I'm with You" became a #1 hit. Taking advantage of the moment, two members of Sheriff teamed up with some former founding members of Heart to create Alias.
New York dance act Deee-Lite were dance club fixtures in the early '90s, scoring several #1 dance hits. One of those singles, "Groove Is in the Heart," was a also a major pop hit, reaching #4 in November. It was also a #2 hit in Britain. Although officially a double-A side release with "What Is Love," only the former was a true pop hit. They would have none others.
Last month I wrote about The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" in the US. It was an even bigger hit in the UK, spending the entire month of November at #1. Although it was the biggest song to make a return to the charts in November 1990, it wasn't the only one. Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" was a #1 hit in the US in 1986. Although a great song, the fact that it was featured in the hit movie Top Gun helped it along. In the UK; however, it wasn't a big hit, with the single hitting #52 in 1998. Then in November 1990, Top Gun aired on television, prompting the single's return to the chart at a much higher position, peaking at #3.
Kim Appleby had been one half of Mel & Kim with her sister Mel Appleby in the late '80s, scoring four top 10 hits including #1 "Respectable." Sadly, the duo never got to follow-up its success, since Mel contracted cancer and died in early 1990. Her sister Kim, however, embarked on a solo career, which, while not as big, generated two top 10 hits, including #2 single "Don't Worry." Although it sounds like Stock/Aitken/Waterman, it is actually not produced by them. After a decade-long hiatus, Appleby released a few more singles in the last 10 years, although none were hits.
Speaking of S/A/W, they did have a top 10 hit in November with Kylie Minogue's "Step Back in Time," the follow-up to her #2 spring hit "Better the Devil You Know." "Step Back in Time" preceded the November release of Rhythm of Love, Minogue's third album. The single hit #4, becoming Minogue's 11th consecutive top 10 hit, all of which were actually top 4 singles. Two more top 10 hits from Rhythm of Love would follow in 1991, before her streak of top 10 hits was broken by the first single from her fourth album, "The Word is Out," which peaked at #16 in September 1991.
Two songs with similar titles were hits. Whitney Houston hit #5 with "I'm Your Baby Tonight," the first single from her third album of the same name. It was her 8th top 10 hit. And Robert Palmer and UB40 hit #6 with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," the first British single from Robert Palmer's album Don't Explain ("You're Amazing" was chosen instead as the first US single).
Black Box had another top 5 hit with "Fantasy," one of their singles from this time that was a hit in Britain but not the US. In the UK, the group hit #1 in 1989 with "Ride on Time" and #4 in 1990 with "I Don't Know Anybody Else," whereas in the US, their top 10 hits were "Everybody Everybody" and "Strike It Up."
Belinda Carlisle's US chart fortunes dried up in 1990, after "Leave a Light On" was only a modest hit, reaching #11, and it's follow-up, "Summer Rain," a disappointment, peaking at only #30. It was a shame actually, as I was a bit of a Belinda Carlisle fan (I still love her second solo album, Heaven on Earth). Overseas, the picture was a bit different. "Leave a Light On" hit #4 in the UK in 1989, beginning a string of six singles from Carlisle's third album, Runaway Horses. While none of the intervening singles where big hits, the album's 5th single, "(We Want) The Same Thing," hit #6, becoming her 5th top 10 hit ("Summer Rain" was released as the album's 6th single in late 1990). The song was remixed significantly for the single version, giving it a heftier pop production. Pity this wasn't released in the US. It might have turned her career around, as it's a great pop single.
October 1990 had a new #1 hit every week. First up was British reggae artist Maxi Priest with "Close to You," his second top 40 hit. This was his biggest US hit. He hit the top 10 again next year, appearing on Robert Flack's #6 hit "Set the Night to Music." He made his final appearance in the top 40 in 1996 with Shaggy on "That Girl."
George Michael scored his 7th solo #1 with "Praying for Time," the first single from Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. Foresaking his carefully crafted image from the Faith years, the video for "Praying for Time" did not feature the singer, but instead just featured the song's lyrics over a dark background.
R&B singer James Ingram scored his last major hit with the #1 single "I Don't Have the Heart." Ingram is also known for his 1982 #1 with Patti Austin, "Baby, Come to Me," and his duet with Linda Armstrong that was the theme from the 1986 cartoon film An American Tail, "Somewhere Out There," which peaked at #2.
Showing no signs of cooling off, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album saw its sixth single hit #1 the last week of October. Like her brother Michael's songs "Beat It" and "Dirty Diana," "Black Cat" saw Jackson exploring a harder-hitting rock sound. Although a risk, it paid off, becoming her fourth #1 hit and her fifth top 5 single of the year. The album would generate one more hit single, "Love Will Never Do (Without You)," which hit #1 in early 1991. Additionally, "State of the World" was an airplay-only promotional release, getting enough play to make it a top 10 hit at top 40 radio.
Oldies were strangely popular in 1990, starting early in the year with the Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers hit. But the biggest oldie hit of 1990 was The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," which became popular after its inclusion in the hit film Ghost. The original version hit #4 in 1965, but in 1990 it actually charted twice, due to some unusual circumstances. The version used in the film was the 1965 version, which became popular at radio, but wasn't widely available at retail, in fact, there was no cassette or CD single. To capitalize on the song's success, the duo recorded a new version of "Unchained Melody" that was available at retail as a cassette. Consequently, the older version with the more airplay peaked at #13, while the new version peaked at #19. Both singles were in the top 20 simultaneously the first week of November. At top 40 radio, the song peaked at #3, which is likely where it would have been had the airplay and sales of these two versions been combined into one.
Pebbles scored her third and last top 10 hit with "Giving You the Benefit," the first single from her second album Always. The song was written and produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid, who was her husband at the time. Her next single, "Love Makes Things Happen," peaked at #17 and was her last top 40 hit. She went on to manage popular R&B/pop group TLC. Another Babyface/L.A. Reid produced song was a top 10 hit in October, "Can't Stop" by After 7, which hit #6, becoming their second top 10 of the year, following "Ready or Not."
Australian band INXS became massively successful with their sixth album Kick, from 1987. Three years later they followed it with X. The album's first single, "Suicide Blonde," hit #9, becoming the group's 6th top 10 hit. The song was reportedly inspired by INXS frontman Michael Hutchence's then-girlfriend Kylie Minogue, who had dyed her hair for a role in the movie The Delinquents. The group would have one more top 10 hit, "Disappear," in the following year, and a few more top 40 hits after that. Hutchence killed himself in 1997.
The other songs that reached the top 10 in October 1990 were "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" (#4), Phil Collins' fourth single from ...But Seriously; "Romeo" (#6), the second and last top 10 hit for Dino; "Oh Girl" (#8) by Paul Young; and "Everybody, Everybody" by Black Box.
United Kingdom
The liner notes of Now That's What I Call Music Vol 41 (1998) state that one in seven British residents owns an album by The Beautiful South. "A Little Time" was the first single from their second album, Choke, and their only one to ever hit #1. This was the band's third top 10 hit and they would have three others in the next few years. They released their last album in 2006 and broke up the following year.
With Maria McKee's "Show Me Heaven" lodged at #1 for the first three weeks of October, several songs were able to peak no higher than #2. The first of which was Londonbeat's "I've Been Thinking About You." The dance pop group, made up of Brits and Americans, peaked with this single, their second of four top 40 hits. It would go on to be a #1 hit in the US in early 1991.
"Unchained Melody" wasn't the only oldie being trotted out in the charts in the fall of 1990. In Britain, Bobby Vinton's "Blue Velvet," a #1 hit in the US in 1963, reached #2 after being featured in a Nivea commercial. The following week, "boogie" rockers Status Quo hit #2 with "The Anniversary Waltz Part 1," an upbeat medley of hit songs from the '50s, '60s and '70s, including "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez, "No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry, "The Wanderer" by Dion, "I Heard You Knocking" by Gale Storm, "Lucille" by Little Richard and "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis. Part was released 2 months later and reached #16. If this formula sounds a lot like what Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers did, it was no coincidence--the covers of the singles referenced this fact with a little sketch of a rabbit, above which it was written "It's live sonny," to distinguish this live medley from the Mastermixers' remix work. Status Quo has had a remarkably long career. Although their heyday was in the '70s and '80s, they continue to endure, having scored a top 40 hit as recently as last month. In the US, their sole top 40 hit was their first single, "Pictures of Matchstick Men," way back in 1968.
Pet Shop Boys reached #4 with "So Hard," the first single from their fourth album Behaviour. It was their 11th top 10 hit and their 10th in a row to make the top 10, a run that their next single, "Being Boring" would break by peaking at #20 (surprisingly low given how this is considered such a classic song). Although Behaviour marked the end of mainstream popularity for Pet Shop Boys in the States, they continued to have top 10 hits in Britain, even into the last decade.
Technotronic hit #6 with "Megamix," which, as you would expect, is a medley mix of their previous hits "Rockin' Over the Beat," "Pump Up the Jam," "Get Up (Before the Night Is Over)," "This Beat Is Technotronic,"
Twenty4Seven feat. Captain Hollywood Project hit #7 with "I Can't Stand It," a typical slice of British dance music of the time. Captain Hollywood Project had a couple more top 40 hits later in the '90s, including "More and More," which was also a hit in the US.
New Kids on the Block hit #8 with double A-side release "Let's Try It Again" and "Didn't I Blow Ya Mind." "Let's Try It Again" is a slow love song from their album Step By Step, the third top 10 hit from the disc and the group's 7th UK top 10 overall. "Didn't I Blow Ya Mind" is actually an older song from their first album released in 1986 (it was a top 10 hit in the US in 1989). In this US, "Let's Try It Again" was the straw that broke the camel's back: after nine consecutive top 10 hits, including three #1s, this single peaked at a remarkably low #53.
Late again with this...but I promise to finish out the year. I guess I'm not really that excited about September. None of the month's #1 hits rank among my favorites from the year, although there are a few interesting hits from this month.
United States
The month's biggest hit was "Blaze of Glory," Jon Bon Jovi's solo single. It's his only #1 or even top 10 hit as a soloist. The song is from the soundtrack to Young Guns II, which, like Madonna's I'm Breathless album, features songs both "from" and "inspired by" the film. It's apparently aimed at re-creating the flavor of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," although I think "Blaze of Glory" is better.
Wilson Phillips followed up their #1 hit "Hold On" with a second #1, "Release Me," making them the first act to score a second #1 hit in 1990 (Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey would also do so). "Release Me" is less bouncy than "Hold On," but otherwise it's similarly adult-oriented mid-tempo harmonic pop. It was actually a bigger hit at top 40 radio than "Hold On," which actually wasn't a #1 there, while "Release Me" spent 3 weeks atop the radio pop chart and 2 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100.
Also scoring their second major hit of the year was trio Bell Biv Devoe. "Do Me!" hit #2 in September, charting higher than their previous single, "Poison," although I think most people would consider "Poison" to be their bigger hit. I've actually always liked this better, despite how its overtly sexual tones sound quite immature by today's standards. This was the last major hit from the former New Edition members, who would go on to have a few more top 40 hits, but none were nearly as big as their first two.
Girl groups were a dime a dozen in 1990. Seduction, Cover Girls, Expose, En Vogue, Wilson Phillips...etc. Apart from Wilson Phillips, the only other one to score a #1 hit was Sweet Sensation. "If Wishes Came True" sounds really quite unremarkable to my ears now. I much prefer the single that preceded it, their remake of The Supremes' "Love Child," which hit #13. "If Wishes Came True" was the group's third and final top 40 single. Way to go out with a bang!
The month's final #1 hit (there were 4) was Nelson's "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection," the single from the duo with the long blond locks whose sibling Tracy starred on the hit TV show Father Dowling Mysteries (a favorite in my house at the time). This is serviceable pop rock masquerading as "hair band" music. Before you label them one-hit wonders, consider that they had a top 10 hit following this, "After the Rain," (#6), plus two others that reached the top 40 in 1991.
Speaking of hairbands, here's one with a little more credibility. Poison are best known for their #1 hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," but the band had other hits include two top 5 singles in 1990. The first of which, "Unskinny Bop," was the first single from their album Flesh & Blood, which the band recorded live. It's got a great bassline and a ridiculous although catchy lyric. I mean, just what is an "unskinny" bop? The fat dance? Poison member Bret Michaels managed to achieve quite a bit of notoriety this year due to his health scare and appearances on reality shows American Idol and America's Got Talent.
MC Hammer followed his massive hit "U Can't Touch This" with the amazingly subdued "Have You Seen Her," a rap remake of the Chi-Lites #3 hit from 1971. Most rap songs popular at the time sound a lot like dance pop, so this ballad was a bit of an outlier. "Have You Seen Her" hit #4.
Between his Batman soundtrack and the hit-filled album Diamonds and Pearls, Prince made another movie, Graffiti Bridge, a sequel to Purple Rain and Prince's fourth movie after Under the Cherry Moon and Sign 'o' the Times. The movie may have been a dud, but it produced a decent top 10 hit, "Thieves in the Temple," one of Prince's darker songs.
I imagine New Kids on the Block didn't intend "Tonight" to be a swan song, but it's really quite perfect for it, given that the song was their last top 10 hit while paying homage lyrically to many of their others: "Remember when I said girl please don't go and how I'd be loving you forever. Taught you 'bout hanging tough as long you got the right stuff." It's also a pretty unusual song, with a changing tempo that slows down for the strings-backed versuses and speeds up for the choruses. In a way, it was a pretty gutsy release as boyband singles go, certainly one of their most interesting, even if it's not remembered as one of their biggest. "Tonight" peaked at #7 and was their ninth consecutive top 10 hit. They would have one more top 20 single a few years later, "If You Go Away," their last major hit until their 2008 reunion gave them an 11th top 40 hit, "Summertime."
Also making the top 10 in September 1990 were rock band Faith No More's "Epic" and Johnny Gill's "My, My, My," his smooth R&B follow-up to his #3 hit "Rub You The Right Way." It was his last top 10 hit.
United Kingdom
Lots of songs made the top 10 in the UK in September, but I'm going to talk about a few of them.
Maria McKee's "Show Me Heaven" reached #1 the last week of September and stayed there for 4 weeks, one of eight singles to stay that long at #1 in 1990 (only Elton Johns' 5-week run with "Sacrifice" was longer). This is far and away the biggest hit for the American singer, who's never had a top 40 hit in her native country. The song is from the soundtrack to Days of Thunder, the first of several movies Tom Cruise and his ex-wife Nicole Kidman collaborated on.
Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" was a #1 hit in the US in 1974. Sixteen years later it also topped the UK chart after appearing in a Levi's commercial. In fact, it was a hit all over Europe in 1990. The song would resurface again in 2001 as a sample in Shaggy's #1 hit "Angel."
Deee-Lite hit #2 with "Groove Is In the Heart," which would also be a top 10 hit in the US later in the year, reaching #4. It was the group's biggest pop hit, paired with "What Is Love." It was also a #1 hit on the American dance chart, their first of six dance chart-toppers.
Scottish pop group Deacon Blue's EP Four Bacharach and David Song spent 2 weeks at #2 with its track "I'll Never Fall Love Again" getting the most airplay.
Other top 10 hits from the month:
Betty Boo's "Where Are Baby" hit #3. KLF hit #5 with "What Time Is Love." The Farm's "Groovy Train" hit #6. Adamski hit #7 with "The Space Jungle." Snap's "Cult of Snap" hit #8 Jason Donovan hit #9 with "Rhythm of the Rain"
And if that's not all...New Kids' "Tonight" (mentioned above) peaked at #3. George Michael's "Praying for Time" hit #6 (I'll talk about that in October for the US). Jive Bunny and the MasterMixers "Can Can You Party" reached #8. And Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love" hit #9. Whew.
Faith was a massive commercial success, particularly in the US, where it went 10 times platinum and scored six top 5 hits, including four #1s. Apparently daunted by its success, George Michael took a new path for the album's follow-up, Listen Without Prejudice, penning a collection of more serious songs with a more acoustic sound. Some people didn't like it--it wasn't nearly the hit that Faith was--but others, like myself, found it enthralling. "Praying for Time," a US #1, pushes for social consciousness amid layers of keyboard chords and acoustic guitars. "Freedom," also a top 10 hit, as well as "Waiting for That Day," sample James Brown's "Funky Drummer" beat to great effect. "Freedom," in particular, is as potent, funky and upbeat as anything from Faith. Although at the time it was viewed as a personal statement of George Michael wanting freedom from his iconic image--a story portrayed in the song's video by burning his iconic leather jacket--it later took on new meaning once Michael came out of the closet. "Waiting for That Day" is as tinged with hope as it is with retro sensibility, making it another fantastic track.
There's some great ballads here too. "They Won't Go Where I Go" can be a bit gloomy, but reaches a poignant emotional peak at its bridge. "Cowboys and Angels" is a particular highlight, employing the style of romantic jazz that Michael has used to such great effect both earlier ("Kissing a Fool") and later ("You Have Been Loved"). Sparsely instrumented "Mother's Pride," a tribute to fathers and sons lost to war, became an anthem for families with relatives serving in the Gulf War. Although it's just a reprise, "Waiting" is as emotionally involved as any of the songs that precede it. The album was a stunning work for its new direction, personal yet enigmatic sentiments and overall quality.
Best: Freedom, Cowboys and Angels, Praying for Time, Waiting for That Day, Mother's Pride
August 1990 belonged to a new artist, the one and only Mariah Carey. Carey had the perfect launch with her first single, “Vision of Love,” a striking ballad with a sound both captivating and unlike anything else on the radio at the time. It still stands out as one of her best musical moments, instantly establishing some classic Carey singing tactics—the melisma, the multi-octave range and the spine-tingling (or some would say ear-splitting) high note. “Vision of Love” spent 4 weeks at #1, the entire month of August. It tied “Because I Love You” and “Nothing Compares 2U” as the longest-running #1 hit of the year. “Vision of Love” was the first of Carey’s now 18 #1 hits. She'd earn her second before 1990 ended.
With Carey lodged at #1 for the month, a trio of singles had to be content with #2 peaks. Leading that group was Billy Idol’s “Cradle of Love,” his second biggest hit after 1987 #1 “Mony Mony.” Although it only peaked at #2, it was among the ten biggest hits of the year on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart. It’s racy video was a favorite on MTV in the summer of 1990, showing a young temptress sashay through and demolish the urban apartment of a nebbish yuppy.
British act Snap!’s recent UK #1, “The Power,” hit #2 in the US. The third #2 of the month was Janet Jackson’s “Come Back to Me,” the fifth consecutive top 5 hit from Rhythm Nation 1814 and the first and only ballad released as a single from that album. This subdued, gentle ballad has always been a favorite of mine. The track received an enhanced mix for the single release, with additional synth and string elements. I also once heard a version of this without the drums (Shadoe Stevens played it on American Top 40) that I also really liked and would love to track down. Internationally, this was not a major hit—it only reached #20 in Britain—but it is Janet Jackson’s only #1 hit on the US adult contemporary chart. Along with “Let’s Wait Awhile,” “Again,” and “Any Time, Any Place,” its one of the few hit ballads Jackson’s had.
Following in the footsteps of Bobby Brown and Bell Biv Devoe, a fifth former member of New Edition embarked on a solo career in 1990. Johnny Gill’s first single, “Rub You the Right Way,” became his first of two top 10 hits, hitting #3 in August. In addition to the standard version, a dance remix, which I prefer to the original, was also quite popular.
Go West scored their biggest hit with “King of Wishful Thinking,” a #8 hit. After Natalie Cole’s “Wild Women Do” and Roxette’s #1 hit “It Must Have Been Love,” it was the third hit single from the Pretty Woman soundtrack. Other top 10 hits in August included Michael Bolton's "When I'm Back on My Feet Again," his third for the year; "Girls Nite Out," the only major hit ever for Tyler Collins; and "Jerk Out," the biggest hit ever for The Time, a group assembled by Prince that included a number of guys who, by this time, were already notable producers, such as Jellybean Johnson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
UK
Most of Britain's August top 10 hits had already been hits in the US: Madonna's "Hanky Panky," which was a much bigger hit in the UK, reaching #2; MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," which hit #3; and a double A-side release of Roxette's "Listen to Your Heart" (a #1 hit in the US in 1989) and "Dangerous," which peaked at #6.
The most notable single that wasn't yet a hit in the US was DNA and Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner," a dance remix by DNA of Vega's a capella song from her 1987 album Solitude Standing. Although Vega was well known, she was a not a major force on the pop charts, and "Tom's Diner" remains her only major hit in the UK (in the US, she'd previously had a top 10 hit with "Luka"). The single, inspired by Tom's Restaurant in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, was a smash, spending 3 weeks at #2. Later in the year, it peaked at #5 in the US and also hit #1 in some European countries.
Also making the top 10 were Soup Dragons, with "I'm Free" (#5), Blue Pearl with "Naked in the Rain" (#4), and Prince with "Thieves in the Temple" (#7).
The middle of summer 1990 wasn't a big producer of hits, at least if you go by what peaked in the top 10 of the Hot 100. But the month actually delivered some pretty memorable singles. The month's biggest single was "She Ain't Worth It," the biggest hit from Hawaiian pop singer Glenn Medeiros. The song features a rap from Bobby Brown, who dominated the pop chart in 1989, but appeared only on this single in 1990. The single spent 2 weeks at #1, following "Step By Step," which was #1 for the first 2 weeks of the month. Medeiros would have one more minor top 40 hit later that year, "All I'm Missing Is You."
Perhaps more notable that "She Ain't Worth It," July was the month the second-biggest new act of the year saw their first single hit #2. I'm talking about En Vogue, the R&B foursome (later a trio) that became one of the decade's biggest pop groups. Their first single, "Hold On," not to be confused with Wilson Phillips' #1 hit of the same name, was a sultry, sassy that opened with an a capella breakdown proving these girls could really sing. "Hold On" was the group's only major pop hit from their first album, Born to Sing, although that single, along with "Lies" and "You Don't Have to Worry," were #1 hits on the R&B chart. Their second album, 1992's Funky Divas, was a bigger crossover success, scoring the group's biggest hit, #2 single "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" and two other top 10s: "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Free Your Mind." Later, in the mid '90s, they also hit the top 3 with "Whatta Man (w/Salt N Pepa)" and "Don't Let Go (Love)."
One of my favorite singles of the year was Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence," which was my introduction to the band, leading me to get their album Violator for Christmas later that year. This is such an awesome single--still easily their best, although "Never Let Me Down Again" is a close second. The single hit #8, their only top 10 single in the US. The Anton Corbijn-directed video was really great too: black and white footage of the band coupled with grainy color footage of a monarch roaming a rural landscape. I can't embed the video, but you can see it here. Taylor Dayne had her final top 10 hit in July, "I'll Be Your Shelter," which hit #4. As written by Diane Warren, who also wrote Dayne's #1 hit "Love Will Lead You Back" from earlier in the year, "I'll Be Your Shelter" was apparently intended for Tina Turner, but Dayne recorded it instead. I remember it being described as Dayne's best Tina Turner impression. Back in the day, I wasn't really into this song, but now I actually rather enjoy it.
Finally, as a testament to just how big she was back then, Madonna hit the top 10 not with a dance pop song, not with a big pop/rock opus, not with a strings-drenched ballad, but with a silly, tongue-in-cheeky '30s-styled ode to being spanked, "Hanky Panky." Imagine someone trying to pull that today. "Hanky Panky" was the second single from Madonna's I'm Breathless album and the follow-up to #1 hit "Vogue." The single hit #2 in Britain in August. Unlike "Vogue," "Hanky Panky" sounded like something that was reasonably inspired by Madonna's participation in the hit movie Dick Tracy.
United Kingdom
Speaking of hit movies, the big-screen version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was responsible for Britain's biggest hit in July. "Turtle Power," the theme song from the film, spent 4 weeks at #1, making it much bigger hit in the UK than it was in the US, where it peaked at #13. The rap duo responsible for this, Partners in Kryme, never had another hit.
The Stone Roses released only two albums, yet tend to feature prominently in any discussion about British rock music of the last 25 years. In particular their first album, The Stone Roses, is often regarded as one of the finest British albums of all time (seriously, it's up there with releases by The Beatles, Radiohead, and Oasis). During their heyday from 1989 to 1995 they released quite a few singles. Although they never had a #1 hit, "One Love" was their second biggest single, peaking at #4.
Following in the footsteps of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, another alum of the Australian soap opera Neighbours crossed over to the pop charts in 1990. Craig McLachlan, credited rather cornily as "Craig McLachlan and Check 1-2," hit #2 with "Mona," his first British single. He'd have a handful of other top 40 singles, including a duet with Debbie Gibson (who knew?!). I think this is a remake, although I'm not sure of what.
Perhaps the most unusual single of the month, Fab Feat. MC Parker's "Thunderbirds Are Go" was a top 5 hit. It's video features footage of the puppet-based television show from the '60s. If anyone has any context why this single was put out in 1990 I'd be interested to hear about it.
Mariah Carey launched her career on a high note. Quite literally actually, for it was the soaring pitch of the final notes of her first single "Vision of Love" that set her apart from the pack of female pop singers she so successfully broken into. As the '80s concluded, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson were the reigning queens of pop music--a circle that would widen to admit this lady in due time.
This debut isn't perfect, and in fact many of the tracks after the opening salvo feel like filler. After the buoyant fourth track, "Someday," there isn't another real standout until the closing #1 hit "Love Takes Time." But those first few songs--#1 hits like the dramatic "Vision of Love," tear-jerking "I Don't Wanna Cry" and why-wasn't-it-a-hit "There's Got to Be a Way"--are worth the price of admission.
The rest of Mariah Carey, while not bad, is actually kind of interesting. "All in Your Mind" and "You Need Me" are very of the late '80s/early '90s era, reminiscent of the sound Carey would later explore as "retro" on the Glitter album. "Sent from Up Above" compares sex to a religious experience, a trick Madonna did earlier and better with "Like a Prayer."
It's interesting to compare Carey then to Carey now. As a 20 year-old, she chased an older sound that found the sweet intersection between pop, R&B and adult contemporary. These days, at 40, she does the opposite, trying to compete with other pop/R&B singers half her age. I guess the grass is always greener.
Despite being a bit uneven, this album was a major launch for Carey, with all four of its singles hitting #1 on the Hot 100. The album was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy Award and, although it lost, Carey was awarded best female pop singer and best new artist. It was also the best-selling album of 1991 in the US.
Best: Vision of Love, Someday, I Don't Wanna Cry, Love Takes Time, There's Got to Be a Way
June 1990 delivered the year’s two biggest hits. Wilson Phillips, a trio of young women descended from famous singers from the ‘60s and ‘70s, had their first of several hits in the early ‘90s with “Hold On,” a breezy slice of pop that showcased the group’s signature vocal harmonics. It was the #1 song on the Billboard year-end 1990 chart. The video, which showed the girls on vacation by the beach and in the mountains, was a nice accompaniment.
June also gave us the year’s second biggest hit, “It Must Have Been Love,” the most successful single by Swedish duo Roxette. The pair made their mark the previous year with #1 hits “The Look” and “Listen to Your Heart,” but this stopgap single from the Pretty Woman soundtrack was their most memorable tune, spending 2 weeks at #1. The group would have one more #1 hit, “Joyride,” from their second US album, before their popularity began to fade.
MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" wasn’t a Billboard #1 hit, but it really should have been (something about the limited availability of a physical single made it peak at a rather lousy #8), as it was probably the song most people would say was the hit of summer 1990. The video was all over MTV (interestingly the video had an error in it that causes it to speed up for a split second. Odd that despite the hundreds of airings it received, neither MTV nor MC Hammer’s record company could be bothered to get MTV a corrected tape).The was the first of several big hits for the rapper, one of the first major crossover stars of hip-hop.
Continuing her streak of hits (and only halfway through them at this point), Janet Jackson landed a fourth top 10 from the Rhythm Nation 1814 album. On the album, “Alright” wasn’t a standout track, but the song got a wonderful remix for the single, adding a better beat, a jazzy horns section and, in some versions, a rap from Heavy D. Another great video was produced, a dazzling setup of synchronized dancing and various hijinks with a retro feel, featuring Cyd Charisse, Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers, all of whom are now deceased.
With Bobby Brown having ruled the charts in 1989, 1990 was the year the rest of New Edition got their chance. First up was Bell Biv Devoe, a trio of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe. Their sound was New Jack Swing—a combination of pop, R&B and hip-hop that became really big in the early ‘90s. It’s a style I rather like, as it generally had beats close to dance pop and crossed over well between R&B and top 40 charts. “Poison” was the first of the group’s two major hits. While every member of New Edition had solo hits, none sustained their streaks as long as Bobby Brown. However none of these acts would be as successful as the group Bell Biv Devoe would help launch, Boyz II Men.
New Kids on the Block had their biggest and last #1 hit in June with "Step By Step," the title track and first single from their third studio album. It followed their two #1 hits from the previous year, "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" and "Hangin' Tough." This was the beginning of the end for the five-some, who saw their popularity eroded by the emergence of new jack swing-styled acts (most notably Boyz II Men and Color Me Badd). Phil Collins landed a third top 5 hit from ...But Seriously, "Do You Remember." And R&B trio After 7 had their first top 10 hit, "Ready or Not," which peaked appropriately at #7. The group included two of Babyface's brothers.
UK
Recently voted by the British public as the #1 football anthem, "World in Motion" by New Order, or rather the patriotic title "EnglandNewOrder," got its start in June 1990, spending 2 weeks at #1 in conjunction with the 1990 World Cup. With each successive World Cup the song is revived; this year it hit #22. Although "Blue Monday" and "Regret" are likely considered bigger hits for the band, "World in Motion" was their only #1 hit.
Elton John scored a major hit with the double A-side single "Sacrifice"/"Healing Hands." It spent 5 weeks at #1 and was his second chart-topper, 14 years after his first, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Kiki Dee. The songs were released separately in the US, with "Healing Hands" hitting #13 in 1989 and "Sacrifice" hitting #18 in 1990.
Sample-laden "Hear the Drummer (Get Wicked)" was a #3 hit for Chad Jackson. Dance pop act Snap! followed their #1 hit "The Power" with top 5 single "Ooops Up," which unlike "The Power" was not a major hit in the US. It's similar, but less interesting than their previous hit.
The British singles chart is generally more eclectic than the Billboard Hot 100, which rarely features novelty singles and music that isn't broadly considered "popular music" (i.e pop, rock, R&B, rap). So it's refreshing to see that someone like Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti could have a #2 hit in the UK, which he did in June 1990 with "Nessum Dorma." At it wasn't just a fluke--it spent 3 weeks at #2 and 5 weeks total in the top 10. Of course, its success was due to him performing the aria at The World Cup.
A few singles that were hits in the US were also hits in Britain. New Kids on the Block's "Step By Step" hit #2, Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love" reached #3, Wilson Phillips took "Hold On" to #6 and Michael Bolton hit #10 with "How Can We Be Lovers."
As part of my Best of 1990 series, I wrote a guest article about the television moment of 1990, the season 3 finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Check it out at TV Time Capsule.
To follow-up Like a Prayer, rather than a traditional album project, Madonna took this side detour into '40s-influenced pop inspired by her role as Breathless Mahoney in the big-screen version of Dick Tracy. It was one of the few movies considered a hit for Madonna, so to the extent the two products could cross-promote, the ploy worked. And the music, although never regarded as a Madonna "classic," is actually pretty decent. "He's a Man" strikes all the right notes with a vampy Madonna vocal backed a lush big-band orchestration and even chorus-girl vocals. A similar but campier approach for "Hanky Panky" makes it pure brass and sass. The ballads here are all strong: the piano-based "Something to Remember," as well as two of the album's three tracks that were actually from the movie, the Oscar-nominated "Sooner or Later" and the Mandy Patinkin duet "What Can You Lose." The album loses a bit of focus with a couple of over-the-top impressions of Carmen Miranda on "I'm Going Bananas" and Betty Boop on "Cry Baby."
Although there are some great moments among the '40-styled songs, for most people, I'm Breathless appears in their collection because of its closing track, "Vogue," the undisputed Madonna classic. Although at first blush the Shep Pettibone-produced dance pop number has nothing to do with the rest of the album, its inclusion isn't as out of place as it could be. First, the second half of the previous song, "Now I'm Following You," is given a '90s remix, creating a bridge between "Vogue" and the rest of the album. Second, "Vogue" pays tribute to classic Hollywood icons, including some dating as far back as the Dick Tracy era. Third, the vogue dance itself actually dates back to the '30s. So really "Vogue" is a fitting conclusion to the album as it acknowledges the influences of the past while firmly asserting its place in contemporary pop music.
Best: Vogue, He's a Man, Hanky Panky, Something to Remember, Sooner or Later
I don't own any New Kids on the Block albums. That may come as a surprise, but I was never really into them. In 1989, when they were at their peak, I was more interested in Madonna, Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. So listening to Step By Step, their third album, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the fact that it was pretty decent.
Sure there is some crap here. The Caribbean-inspired "Stay with Me Baby" is particularly cringe-inducing, as is the group's attempts at rap, such as on the uninspired closing track "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again." And the second half of the album has too many bland ballads as filler.
But there are some pleasant surprises too. Of course I was already familiar with "Step By Step," the group's #1 single from 1990 that was their biggest hit, as well as "Tonight," its follow-up top 10 hit. "Step By Step" has quite a bit of energy, more so than anything from Hangin' Tough, which you may recall as upbeat, but give it a listen and by today's standards it sounds absolutely tired. "Tonight" is particularly interesting. It opens with a little Spanish guitar, before segueing into its piano and strings-backed first verse that name checks the band's biggest hits from the previous year ("Please Don't Go Girl," "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)," "(You Got It) The Right Stuff" and "Hangin' Tough," in that order). It's a slow song, but the ballad jumps up a few notches for the horn-backed chorus. It wasn't much of a success, but it's interesting for its unusual flourishes.
"Baby, I Believe in You" has cool '70s flourishes I didn't expect from a 1990 boy band album. It's appealing bass beat and '80s synthesizer arrangement give it a decade-hopping feel. "Call It What You Want" has a faster tempo, sounding not unlike something from Paula Abdul or Milli Vanilli, and is vaguely reminiscent of "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" too.
"Let's Try It Again" is a smooth R&B ballad that also has a retro late '70s/early '80s feel, kind of like Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life." This was the album's single, but due to the significant backlash that developed in late 1990, was their first single to flop, peaking at #53. "Happy Birthday" reaches back even further for a laid back doo-wop feel. "Time Is On Our Side" is another ballad, and sounds an awful lot like Boyzone's "Love Me for a Reason."
Their willingness to explore these various styles is admirable, but backfires too. "Games" aims for a more urban sound, but doesn't score any points for credibility. The second half of the album fills up too much with unremarkable ballads, like "Where Do I Go From Here" and "Funny Feeling," which both strive to capture the spirit of the group's first #1 hit "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)."
Not a masterpiece, but not awful either, and better than I was expecting.
Best: Tonight, Step By Step, Let's Try It Again, Baby I Believe in You, Call it What You Want
I already wrote about Madonna's "Vogue," but needless to say, it was the biggest hit in the U.S. in May 1990, spending 3 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. The month's second-biggest hit was Heart's "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You," which tells the story of a woman so desperate to get pregnant that she has a one-night stand. As a kid, I didn't like this song, as I thought it was morally corrupt. But now I actually quite enjoy it. After their #1 hits "These Dreams" and "Alone," this was the band's third biggest hit (go about halfway through the video below to see it).
More one-hit wonders abounded in May 1990. Calloway, named not for Cab Calloway but the surname of the band's two members, hit #2 with "I Wanna Be Rich" (incidentally, around this time Cab Calloway did show up in the pop music world, appearing in the video for Janet Jackson's "Alright"). It was a decent, although by-the-numbers pop hit, and I was surprised they couldn't follow it up with another. Latin pop band Linear and their only major hit with "Sending All My Love," a top 5 single that I remember rather liking at the time.
Michael Bolton continued his early '90s hit streak, following up his #1 "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" with a #3 hit, "How Can We Be Lovers." Aerosmith also followed their recent top 10 hits "Love in an Elevator" and "Janie's Got a Gun," with another, "What It Takes." Desmond Child co-wrote this song and it's one of my favorites from them. Their were two videos for this, one is documentary style, featuring the band in the studio, while the other is more theatrical. As I recall, the studio version came out first, as the standard video wasn't ready, but ultimately, the studio one was the more popular of the two.
United Kingdom
"Killer" ruled the UK singles chart in May of 1990, hitting #1 the second week of the month and staying 4 weeks at the top. It was the biggest hit by British dance music producer Adamski, and the first single by its featured vocalist Seal. Seal, of course, would go on to be a big star on his own all over the world, most notably with his hits "Crazy" and "Kiss from a Rose." Today he's probably best known as Project Runway host and former model Heidi Klum's husband. For his debut album, Seal, Seal re-recorded "Killer," sending it back into the UK top 10 at #8. Then a few years later, George Michael remade it as a medley with Queen's "Papa Was a Rolling Stone."
Other dance pop singles were also quite popular that May. Kylie Minogue hit #2 with "Better the Devil You Know," the first single from her third album, Rhythm of Love. The Stock/Aitken/Waterman-produced single marked a slight change in Minogue's sound, toward a more mature dance pop (not unlike what Cathy Dennis was doing at the time). Among her singles released during the '90s, this is my favorite, and the song has become a longtime favorite among many Kylie fans. Nine years later, a remake of this song by Steps hit #4.
The Adventures of Stevie V also had a #2 hit with "Dirty Cash (Money Talks)." Later in the year this would be a minor hit in the US, and I remember really loving it. The song had quite a re-emergence recently, due to Dizzee Rascal. First, his mostly remake version of the song, "Dirtee Cash," hit #10 last year. And then early this year, he teamed up with Florence and the Machine on "You've Got the Dirtee Love," a mash-up of "Dirtee Cash" and Florence's "You've Got the Love," itself a remake of an early '90s dance hit.
Other hits in Britain in May included Paula Abdul's recent US #1, "Opposites Attract," which hit #2, the New Kids on the Block's "Cover Girl," which hit #4, and the debut single from En Vogue, "Hold On," which hit #5.
No single represents 1990 more significantly to me than Madonna's "Vogue." Madonna has long been my favorite popular artist, and 1990 was a watershed year for her, coming off of the success of Like a Prayer, having a hit movie in Dick Tracy (one of few for her), a big world tour, Blonde Ambition, and this amazing dance pop single from her album I'm Breathless, a concept album inspired by the music of the 1930s era of Dick Tracy and including a few songs from the film. She's had a lot of great singles, and if I had to pick her absolute best, in my mind, this is the top, edging out "Like a Prayer" and "Frozen" (which I also adore, of course).
The song opens with a dramatic flair, slowly introducing the layers of the song's melody: first it's just the synth chords; then the bass line, bongs and snaps kick in; and then finally the drum machines and vocals as Madonna commands the listener to "strike a pose." It's certainly one of her most iconic musical openings. Later that year, an even longer version was created for The Immaculate Collection, which starts with a spoken "what are you looking at" and extends the opening layering by separating the snaps, bongos and bass line, which all came in at once in the original version. There's also a shorter single version which skips the layered opening all together and has a slightly different bass line.
The production is typical of dance pop at the time--frenetic drum machine programming over layers of synth melodies that build to bigger choruses. It's similar to the dance remix of "Express Yourself," as well as the sound on her next album, Erotica--both of which were the product of producer Shep Pettibone (although the original version of "Express Yourself" was produced by Stephen Bray). It was her 11th #1 hit on the Billboard dance club chart (she scored her 40th #1 on this chart last year with "Celebration").
A particular highlight of the song is its bridge--a rapped list of famous screen icons from the past, many of which were notable for their dance skills ("Greta Garbo and Monroe; Dietrich and DiMaggio..." etc.). At the time, 9 of the 16 entertainers mentioned were still alive; today, only Lauren Bacall is still living.
The video for the song is particularly great. Shot in black and white and directed by David Fincher, the imagery is inspired by old Hollywood glamour, with Madonna's wardrobe expressing a mix of feminine and masculine identities, ranging from the bra-less see-through blouse to the pinstripe suit. As music videos go, it's a hands-down classic.
On the personal side, "Vogue" was rather, shall we say, inspiring for me in my youth. Back in 1990, I was 13 when the song came out toward the end of 7th grade. I loved the video, which I got to see plenty of on MTV after school. I thought the dancing was so cool that I taught myself the moves. Then one day during the break between English and social studies classes, I announced to the students that I would perform the dance and proceeded to do so. What would possess me to do this? Well, as a 13 year-old, I didn't really fit in, but I also didn't have a fear of standing out, so while I was very studious, I always liked attention. Whether because they thought it was fun or just bizarre, it became a "thing." I was asked to do it repeatedly, and students from other classes even started showing up.
Then there was the end-of-the-year school dance. Picture the darkened junior high gymnasium with DJ equipment at one end blaring Technotronic, Rob Base, and "Stairway to Heaven." Then "Vogue" comes on--the extended dance remix....uh oh. Suddenly I was surrounded by a deep circle of teenagers shouting "Andy! Andy! Andy!" They wanted me to dance, and while I had no problem doing so for small groups, in this big crowd I panicked. I froze! Thankfully, a 9th grade savior yanked me from the circle. I ran out of the gym and down the hallway...chased by the mob! I hid in the boys' room (not very creative, but leaving the building seemed like a bad idea). The music stopped and the gym lights came on. Apparently the teacher-chaperons thought there had been a fight. But no, it was just me and my "Vogue," or rather non-vogue that night.
Eventually, I got over my performance anxiety and vogued quite freely at parties and other occasions. Ten years later, while doing some volunteer campaign work with a group of D.C. gay and lesbian politicos in Machester, New Hampshire, I sang and danced to "Vogue" during a lesbian bar's karaoke night. I was pretty fresh from college at that point and it helped make a good impression on the group, many of whom I saw frequently during those years when I worked in politics. They were certainly a more appreciative audience than junior high kids.
Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour. Less dance pop than Introspective before it and Very after it, Behaviour was Pet Shop Boys' stab at something a little more stately. Although more subdued than their usual sound, it's not a bad listen, not by a long shot, representing one of the most finely crafted works in their catalog. "Being Boring" is a lovely piece of history-inspired synth pop. "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" is more insistent, but also reflective. "To Face the Truth" injects a bit of melancholy, while "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously" (they really liked the long song titles for this one) was a bit more upbeat. "Nervously" is a sweet tale of a first romantic liaison, and despite the fact that Neil Tennant hadn't come out yet, it's a pretty gay song (there are no "shes" but plenty of "hes" thrown out). Best: Being Boring, This Might Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave, How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously, So Hard (4.5).
Cathy Dennis - Move to This. Cathy Dennis would later become one of the most successful British pop music songwriter-producers around. Her credits include Kylie's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," Britney's "Toxic" and the Sugababes' "About You Now." But before she was in the back of the studio she spent some time in the sound booth too, recording some pretty heady dance pop in the early '90s, first as a member of D-Mob, and then as just a solo act. Her best songs were her vibrant, Euro-styled hits "Just Another Day" and "Touch Me (All Night Long)." Producer Shep Pettibone had a hand in this album, and his style is most obvious on "Everybody Move," which sounds quite a bit like the smash he produced for Madonna, "Vogue." The dance pop outshines the ballads, except for "Too Many Walls," which was also a hit. Other ballads aren't nearly as good though, such as "My Beating Heart," which sounds like a limp take on Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush." Best: Just Another Dream, Touch Me (All Night Long), Everybody Move, Too Many Walls (3.5).
Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight. With her third album, Whitney Houston tried to update her sound for the '90s with edgier, more R&B-styled productions courtesy of producers extraordinaire Babyface and LA Reid, but the bet was hedged against songs that sound like her late '80s output as well. Thus more modern fare like the bouncy "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "My Name Is Not Susan" share space with songs like "Lover for Life" and "I Belong to You," which sound like leftovers from the recording of Whitney. None of these are bad songs though, they just sound a bit disjointed together. I used to not really care for this album, but it's grown on me quite a bit. As usual, the big ballads "All The Man that I Need" and "Miracle" are solid songs that went on to be a #1 and top 10 hit respectively. The only misstep is "Anymore," which sounds like a carbon copy of the production Babyface did for Karyn White's "Secret Rendezvous." Best: I'm Your Baby Tonight, My Name Is Not Susan, All the Man That I Need, Lover for Life, I Belong to You, Miracle (4/5).
Madonna - The Immaculate Collection. Madonna finished 1990 with a greatest hit set that pulled together 15 of her biggest hits from the last 7 years plus two new tracks that would also become hits for her. It became Madonna's second diamond-selling album after Like a Virgin, one of the best-selling and most revered greatest hits collections of all time. And despite the fact that it's indisputably wonderful, there's some odd things about it too. The strangest thing from a purists perspective is that none of the songs are either the single or album versions--all of the songs were remixed for the album by Shep Pettibone and edited for length to fit them all on. Some of the remixing is minor--you have to really listen to tell that the intro to Borderline has slightly different instrumentation--but some of it is dramatically different, like the decision to use a dance remix of "Like a Prayer" rather than the classic original. The tracks are sequenced in release order, except that "Lucky Star" and "Borderline" are switched. Really, these are minor gripes though, and since I've sinced gathered all the album and single versions of Madonna's hits, it's kind of fun to also have these strange slight remixes. Best: All 17 tracks represent pop perfection, so I couldn't possibly choose (5/5).
